The oysters you find in the Danish Wadden Sea (or Vadehavet) are Pacific oysters, originating from Japan and the far east. They first appeared in the Wadden Sea in the 1990s, after they had been introduced to European waters in the 60s to compensate for the loss of native European oysters. The Pacific oysters in the Wadden are not harvested for industrial purposes, but visitors are allowed to fill their rucksack and buckets when touring the banks.

However, the true gastronomic gem of the Danish waters is the Limfjord oyster, also known as the European flat oyster, or natives in the UK. The oysters from the Limfjord – a shallow stretch of water which dissects the top of the Jutland peninsula from east to west – are characterised by a more meaty texture and has a mineral-rich and almost nutty flavour due to the low salt content of the fresh water.

The Limfjord has been kept free of the bacteria which has threatened stocks further south in Europe, and the cold water is said to enhance their flavour. But the wild stock is limited and varies greatly depending on weather conditions. Therefore fishing is heavily regulated and only very few licences are issued to fishermen in seasons where there is depleted stock.

RECIPES

Oysters play a big part in the new Nordic cuisine, both as a dish and also as a condiment or spice. Boris Buono, who used to work at noma, is the head chef at Denmark's oldest fish restaurant, Krogs in Copenhagen (+45 3315 8915, krogs.dk). Here he offers three oyster recipes with a Nordic twist.

Oyster à la Krogs

Open the oysters carefully with an oyster knife and release them from the shell. Mix the rapeseed oil and schnapps, and apply freshly squeezed lemon juice to the marinade according to taste. Let the oysters marinade in the mixture for two hours. Just before serving, dice the apples finely and pick the dill into small pieces.

The oysters are served in the shells, drizzled with marinade and dressed with apple and dill.

Oysters and greens

Blanche the parsley and blend it to a purée with 20cl of water. Soak the gelatin sheets and melt them in a water bath. Blend the gelatin into the parsley purée and pass it through a sieve, leaving you with a fine green juice.

Open the oysters carefully with an oyster knife, release them from the shells and keep the oysters and the oyster water apart. Clean the shells, fill them with the parsley gelatin and leave them in the fridge for about an hour.

Wash and pick the watercress into smaller pieces and cut the shallots into thin rings.

Poach the oysters in the oyster water, taking the pan off the heat when the water starts boiling. Put the poached oysters on top of the cold parsley jelly and decorate with onion rings and watercress.

Add the lecitin to the warm oyster water and stir it up into a foam. Put the foam on top of the oysters just before serving the dish.

Oysters and smoked cheese

Slice the radishes, dice the cucumber finely and pick the dill leaves. Mix the cream cheese and cream and stir it to a light creamy consistency. Add a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon to taste.

Open the oysters carefully with an oyster knife and clean the shells. Put the oyster water in a small pan and poach the oysters in the water. Take the pan off the heat just before it reaches boiling point.

Serve the oysters in the shells. Top up with the cream mixture and decorate with radish, cucumber and dill.